Latest News From Weather - General

With another round of frigid temperatures blanketing the U.S. again, what's behind the cold? Here's a hint: it's not El Niño.

From 40 degrees above zero earlier this week in parts of the Great Plains to now forecasts for temps to fall 40 degrees below zero, ag meteorologist Drew Lerner says the frigid conditions will be dangerous for livestock.

From the intense heat in the South to drought blanketing much of the U.S., weather stole headlines again in 2023. What caused such extreme conditions? One meteorologist explains the culprits of the heat and drought.

Leasing pasture is common in the beef industry, especially for those just getting started. However, fencing leased pastures can be a challenge depending on the conditions of the existing fences.

Hurricane-force winds swept from northern Missouri and Iowa all the way east to Illinois and Indiana. The derecho brought wind gusts up to 100 mph, flattening cornfields, but it also drenched soils with crucial rains.

Even with rains sweeping the Northern Corn Belt last weekend, the latest drought monitor shows drought continues to spread across Illinois with D2 (Severe Drought) taking a 28-point jump in a week.

Drought is deepening across the Midwest with 64% of the corn crop and 57% of the soybean crop across the U.S. now covered in drought, a sizable jump in just a week after NASS showed a historic drop in condition ratings.

As La-Niña ends, meteorologists say the next two months could determine whether we see a drought like 2012 or a return of regular rains across the lower 48.

CattleFax shares expert market and weather analysis at the company's recent outlook seminar, held as part of the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans.

It doesn’t matter if it’s spring, summer, winter or fall, weather is always on producers’ minds. While slower seasons can offer relief, winter can drain emotional batteries. Here are two steps to help find relief.

When the weather forecast calls for extremely low temperatures, what preparations are a must on your operation? Here's a look at some of the most important "To Do" items before the winter chill sets in.

Winter weather is packing a punch across much of farm country this week.  However, its being somewhat ignored by the trade. 

John Phipps says Thanksgiving shouldn’t be a weather-dependent celebration. Gratitude doesn’t watch the 6-10 day forecast. John's annual Harvest of Thanks message is a good reminder for your heart and mind.

Triple digit heat blankets the Southwest this week, and forecasters expect the ridge of high pressure to park over the western Corn Belt next week. AccuWeather projects U.S. corn production could be severely impacted.

Science suggests "Tornado Alley" may be expanding

Three big weather players may impact the 2022 crop season, according to Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions.

From droughts to hurricanes to wildfires, this year has offered a little of everything when it comes to weather.

All of California's national forests are now closed to the public due to raging wildfires. Wildfire threats and issues continue to grow as more than 6,800 wildfires have already burned 1.7 million acres in the state.

July proved to be a scorcher in the West, but the weather story flipped to start August, with much of the eastern half of the country enjoying cooler and dryer air during the first few days of the month.

The record cold temperatures and extreme weather had a major impact on ranchers across the country, but through it all, the men and women showed what the true definition of a rancher is.

While some in the cattle industry know the switch from flaked corn and wet distillers to feeding cracked corn was out of necessity, they fear there could be a huge increase in cost of gain.

U.S. farmers are facing a changing scenario this year. From wet conditions impeding planting in 2020, to now drought concerns creeping in, one analyst thinks weather could be a major market mover in 2021.

As the Great Plains see plunging temperatures this week, one meteorologist thinks crops in the core of the Corn Belt escaped major damage thanks to constant cloud cover. However, livestock producers may not be so lucky.

While some producers near the Elkhorn River in Scribner Nebraska are in the process of cleaning up. AgDay Betsy Jibben heads to Scribner, Nebraska. She talks with Aaron Lange and Angie Lange.

The bomb cyclone storm continues to move East. Ranchers are checking cattle in the middle of the night, as more than a foot of snow pelts of the Western Corn Belt.

Ranchers are expecting conditions to worsen on Thursday. AgDay Betsy Jibben has the story with ranchers in South Dakota.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking matters into its own hands, opening two more emergency programs for producers dealing with flooding in Nebraska.

The weather is pressuring producers to take action as many of them are in the middle of calving season. AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben talks with Mike Finley, a rancher in Sully County, South Dakota.

The climbing cattle inventory and poor feeding conditions this winter are having mixed results on the cattle market.

Cattle are generally doing fine in spite of the winter weather. Their rumens are keeping them warm, said Travis Mulliniks, beef cattle nutritionist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.

These pleasant December days could be put to good use in preparation for the spring calving season.

Calving season has begun, in a winter season that has had some extreme temperature swings. Drastic temperature changes can continue to be a concern when caring for newborn livestock.

Temperatures seen 15 to 25 degrees below normal, NWS says.

The rancher from western Wyoming wears tan overalls pulled over a U.S. ski team jacket, and is every bit as versed in the nuances of hay farming as the subtleties of snow grooming.

Forest Service using new tech for post-fire work in Montana

Livestock producers struggle to rebuild their operations with few resources to date

Wild fires burned in Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas earlier this year, destroying thousands of acres in its path.

The cattle herd is finally recovering from the severe drought that the northern Plains experienced earlier this year. This drought is still a reality, hitting portions of South Dakota hard.

Harvey may not have dealt devastating blow to Texas ranchers

Snow is falling across a large portion of Montana today, bringing relief to areas struggling to control multiple wildfires. Some mountain passes could see up to 8” of snow by Saturday.

Florida Farm Bureau is working to assess farm damage from Hurricane Irma.

Flooding from Hurricane Harvey is slow to drain in some areas of southwest Louisiana one week after the storm made landfall. Agricultural fields consisting primarily of rice and soybeans are suffering from the most damage.

Texas agricultural officials fear thousands of cattle may have died in the aftermath of Harvey, resulting in losses to ranchers of tens of millions of dollars.

Wildfires have burned wide swaths of the western U.S. the past week forcing evacuations of communities, cattle to move pastures and highway closures.

‘Significant’ amount of ranches affected, industry group says.

Minnesota company, Plains farm aid group set up hay convoy

North Dakota's largest livestock group and its biggest corn organizations have launched efforts to help ranchers devastated by a summer of drought.

The ranchers bringing back the iconic beast have a healthy, trendy, profitable meat—and, some say, an answer for global warming.

Farmers in the northern Plains are well aware of the dry conditions, and now they have to resort to drastic measures in order to deal with eroding conditions that are destroying crops and pastures.

Several devastating fires are currently raging in the western U.S.—and hot and dry weather will only exacerbate wildfire danger through the weekend.